Retail in Detail by shopfitDIRECT.co.ukhttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog
All about slatwall, shop fittings shop counters and shop gondolasSun, 23 Jan 2011 19:20:47 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.2Supermarket Psychology – Think Like The Retail Giantshttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/supermarket-psychology-%e2%80%93-think-like-the-retail-giants/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/supermarket-psychology-%e2%80%93-think-like-the-retail-giants/#respondSun, 23 Jan 2011 19:20:47 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=156Shopping psychology has nothing on the big boys of the retail industry; the supermarkets. If you can copy their techniques to not only get customers off the streets and into their shops but also to spend high, then you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank!

Large supermarkets employ what is known as a visual merchandise consultant. A professional whose job it is to tweak the lighting, displays, sounds and even smells of the supermarket to maximise profit. Smaller independent stores can’t compete with such professionals but we can let you in on a few of their trade secrets so that you can copy them for yourself!

Smell-O-Vision: It is no secret that supermarkets often waft the smell of freshly baked bread through their air-conditioning unit to lure in hungry shoppers. In fact my local Waitrose used to pump this smell out into the car park even though they didn’t have an in store bakery! If you weren’t hungry when you pulled up, you soon would be when you smelt the heavenly scent of freshly baked bread and the supermarkets know that hungry shoppers buy more! However if your shop doesn’t sell food you can still waft in delicious smells such as vanilla, chocolate or smells of the season like festive cinnamon and cloves for Christmas to lure shoppers into your store.

Landing Zone: As we’ve discussed before, the landing zone is that area just inside the shop doors where your customer is confronted with the sights, sounds, smells and warmth of the shop. Anything place in this zone will not be noticed, so try to keep a small area clear for your customer to assert themselves and decide which way to go.

Triangular Balance: This method is used time and time again in department stores, particularly with perfume. The idea behind it is that the customer’s eyes are drawn towards the centre object, which looks most appealing in this formation. So this is where the crafty department stores place their most expensive, or best value bottle, of perfume. Once you’ve seen this bottle the others don’t seem to match up to it. It doesn’t just work with bottles, this method works for a lot of items and it’s well worth trying out.

Till Placed Products: The bane of mothers everywhere! Sweets, magazines and other impulse purchases placed just by the till so that you are forced to look at them as you unload your shopping. Mothers may hate sweets sold in this way, but the supermarkets love it and it works so much it’s used in card shops, newsagents and even DIY stores! Put your smaller items here, even a little basket of sales items for customers to rummage through whilst they wait and watch as your impulse purchases soar.

Eye-Level Displays: Large supermarkets know that products place at eye-level display sell more quickly than the others. So they will place bestsellers and more expensive items at eye-level. See for yourself next time you go shopping – you’ll be amazed to see how many brand items are placed directly at eye-level. So you should follow suit!

Music: Streaming music through your shop is a double-edged sword. You’ll either get it bang on or hideously wrong. As you can’t afford to get it hideously wrong you’d probably be wise not to bother!

Of course there are many other ways that supermarkets try to lure people to buy, but these are a few tricks that any shop can copy. You may not see tins of baked beans flying off the shelves but you may just see a slight increase in spending due to a few tweaks that cost next to nothing to do, so that’s got to be worth it!

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/supermarket-psychology-%e2%80%93-think-like-the-retail-giants/feed/0Making The Most Of Free Advertisinghttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/making-the-most-of-free-advertising/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/making-the-most-of-free-advertising/#respondSat, 22 Jan 2011 10:38:30 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=154It seems that everyone is after your money for one thing or another and they do say that nothing is truly free in this life, everything has strings attached. Whilst that may be right, those strings may not necessarily be financial. It is possible, even today, to get your message out completely free of charge and just as effective – sometimes more – than if you had paid for it. So how is this possible? We’ll explore some of the ways you can exploit services and opportunities to advertise your shop business for free.

Local Newspaper Coverage

As mentioned in a previous article on What Makes A Successful Shop Promotion, newspapers won’t generally be interested in promoting your local business for you unless you either pay for advertising or have a newsworthy story. A few years ago I was doing the PR for a national parenting website whose unique idea was to have local sites dedicated to offering local information as well as a national base. They had no budget for advertising so it was up to me to think of ways of getting into the press for free. At first of course, it was a breeze as the newspapers were interested in local mums setting up as editors for a parenting website in their area, but after the initial press interest it became harder to get a mention. So I made sure that the local editor became involved in community events and started offering to support local charities. The newspapers loved doing stories on local people running the 10k for charity or doing something unusual. Whatever you do, make sure you do it under your business name.

Community Spirited

There are always fundraising events and appeals taking place in every community. Perhaps you could sponsor a local charity event – useful if you are a sports shop. Or offer vouchers or a prize for a competition or raffle. Organisers of fundraising events will always pull out all the stops to make sure their event gets maximum publicity, so if you are involved that means you get the exposure too. This may sound like a cynical plan, but in that situation everyone gains, including the charity so there’s no harm in taking advantage of that situation.

Celebrity Promotion

Every local town has a local hero or celebrity. Perhaps that celebrity has a book to plug or new perfume to launch. So long as the celebrity is offering something that is relevant to your business, you can approach them to see if they are interested in plugging their product in your store. It’s not such a great idea to get the latest X Factor finalist to plug their single in a pet shop, but if you own a trendy young clothes shop then it’s a great idea as the teenage fans who will flock to see their idol will be your ideal customer base! So long as it benefits the celebrity, you may well get these appearances for free. There’s no harm in asking!

Local Radio

Many local radio stations are keen to get people in to have a say in their community. You run a shop business in the heart of the community, so what you have to say matters. Perhaps you could comment on how the recession is affecting business, or offer tips on survival for new businesses? After all, you have started up shop in difficult times and have no doubt had to face a few low points as well as high points. Your experience and acquired knowledge makes you an ideal contributor for some talking points on the radio, so visit the local radio website and find out if there is any topic that you could contribute to. Be careful to stick to your topic though, don’t phone-in on anything controversial as that’s the best way to put potential customers off. The last thing you want to do is to appear aggressive and pushy.

Other Publications

Most towns and cities have a council newsletter that pops through the letterbox every couple of months. It’s worth contacting them to see if there is any subject you can contribute to and of course, don’t forget to let them know about your charitable work. Free newsletters like this are priceless as they go into every home in your local area so it’s a great way to reach out to people.

The best way to become a local ‘celebrity’ in your local area to is to get out there and meet the community. Don’t just sit in your shop all day hoping that your customers will come to you, sometimes you have to go out and announce yourself to them! Be a regular and known face on the community circuit. You’ll not only be benefitting your local community but you’ll also be getting to know your customers and turning them into loyal supporters.

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/making-the-most-of-free-advertising/feed/0Building A Successful Web Site For Your Shophttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/building-a-successful-web-site-for-your-shop/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/building-a-successful-web-site-for-your-shop/#respondFri, 21 Jan 2011 16:57:03 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=148When so much shopping is done on the internet, every business no matter how small needs a website. I was looking for a place to take the in-laws once for lunch, I knew there was a good restaurant in the neighbouring village but try as I might I couldn’t find them on the internet. What I was looking for was a telephone number, sample menu, prices and opening hours but the restaurant didn’t have a web site so I took the in-laws to one that did.

These days people use the internet much as they used to use the Yellow Pages. If looking for say, a plumber or dentist, they’ll search for one on the internet and if you’re not listed then you miss out. Even if you just have a basic site with your address, phone number and opening hours you’ll be one step ahead of your competitors who don’t.

Now only those who are adept at using the internet should attempt building their own website, it’s far easier to get someone to build one for you using a simple content management system such as Word Press, which will then enable you to edit and add content yourself. You can buy a name for your site from around £10 and having someone build it and register it to yourself can cost upwards from £200 depending on what you want. Then monthly hosting costs are around £10 per month. Most shops just want to attract local hits for which you’ll only need a basic site.

So what should you have on your site? A good web site builder should take your business into consideration and tailor it to your needs. But some basic information should always be on the site:

Directions of how to reach you.

Opening hours.

Address and telephone number.

Details of your product range.

Photographs of some of your products.

Some website builders will also offer Search Engine Optimisation. This is all about making your site search friendly and using all the relevant keywords and phrases to push the site further up the search terms. This is essential for huge sites who have a lot of competition but for a local shop that doesn’t have aspirations for world domination, it is really up to you if you want to pay for this service.

You may also want to give customers the option of ordering online. Consider getting a PayPal account or a secure page for credit card payments.

Once you have your website up and running you’ll need to advertise it locally. Put it up in your shop window and have it printed on till receipts. It should be on every poster and leaflet you hand out and on business cards.

Update your site. There is nothing worse than visiting a site which contains last year’s information and clearly hasn’t been updated in a while. Change your featured products, advertise new lines and upload new photos. Give customers a reason to visit it often and perhaps even send out a newsletter informing customers of new additions to the site.

Getting Local Hits

The plan isn’t to be top of Google for the whole of the UK under ‘bakeries’, but you can certainly improve your local rating. Make your site informative and interesting for local people by including local news and happenings relevant to your business. For instance, if you are a local bakery then you can do a feature on French bread or an article on serving fresh cream cakes at weddings. That should draw in the kind of customer you need to attract. Your articles don’t always need to be self promotion, just make them informative, interesting and relevant and you’ll score highly on those local search terms and draw in those vital links.

Remember that customers aren’t looking for a piece of creative artwork when they find your site, they just want a site that is easy to use and serves it purpose. Don’t get too caught up in fancy graphics, drop down menus and sound. Whilst all of this is very nice, if a customer can’t find your opening hours they’ll soon lose interest. Make sure that it’s user friendly.

Having a good website won’t make or break your business but it can bring you new custom in the form of internet shoppers who rarely step out onto the high street. These are tough times for the high street and shops need to use every method at their disposal to increase their business and stay ahead of the competition. The internet is just one method, but it’s a huge one so don’t overlook it.

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/building-a-successful-web-site-for-your-shop/feed/0Harnessing The Power Of Good Customer Servicehttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/harnessing-the-power-of-good-customer-service/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/harnessing-the-power-of-good-customer-service/#respondWed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:41 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=145Customer service has the power to make or break a small shop business. Have you ever approached a shop counter and been completely ignored by staff? Or had to stand there waiting whilst shop staff finished their conversation on the phone? Almost everybody has had bad customer experience and knows how incredibly frustrating and annoying it can be, it may even make you decide not to shop there again.

No matter how cheap your goods, bad service will drive your customers away so it’s essential that you establish a good customer service policy both for yourself and for any additional staff to adhere to. Good customer service can even drive up your profits; take a look at the lingerie shop of Boudice, they sell expensive lingerie but their customers are willing to pay those prices because of the service they receive in return.

It may be a bit of a clichéd saying but the customer is always right, because you need that customer more than they need you.

Always acknowledge your customer when they enter the shop and never, ever forsake the customer in front of you for the telephone. People can call back, but customers won’t come back once they’ve walked out. Treat them as you would a guest and remember to thank them for their purchases and say that you hope to see them again soon. If a customer feels valued they will leave your store with a great feeling and remember that positive experience.

Little touches can also mean a lot, such as an umbrella stand by the door on a rainy day (it also saves your floor getting wet and slippy), some chairs outside the changing rooms, the offer of a drink or someone to hold the door open for them. Your customer is your most important VIP so make sure they leave your shop feeling like one.

If a product that the customer wants is not in stock, offer to call them once the re-order arrives and put one aside for your customer.

Make sure that your returns policy is fair and reasonable and be prepared to compromise. If a customer comes in with an item that they’ve had for a month because it was bought early for a present for instance, don’t insist on sticking to your guns. Equally ensure that your returns policy is clearly printed on the receipts and even in front of the cash desk.

Treat all complaints seriously. Some shops ask the customer how they would like the complaint to be resolved and if it’s possible (and reasonable) offer to resolve it in the way they would like. Very often you may find that the customer suggests a better deal than you were going to offer them anyway.

Regularly ask for feedback from your customers and act upon suggestions made.

SMILE! You might have had a rotten day and just feel like burying your head under the duvet, but don’t let your mood transfer to the customer. They don’t want to walk into a shop to be greeted by Basil Fawlty. And if you smile whilst talking to customers on the telephone it does actually make a difference!

Everyone shop has their fair of challenging customers, but remember that without your customers you would not have a viable business, so you need to keep them on your side. Think back to the last time you received some particularly good customer service and try to identify just what it was that impressed you the most. Every time you encounter either good or bad customer service you should take notes so that you can take your experiences back into the shop. If you think like a customer then you’ll be more aware of what it is that your customer wants.

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/harnessing-the-power-of-good-customer-service/feed/0Hanging Onto Your Unique Selling Pointshttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/hanging-onto-your-unique-selling-points/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/hanging-onto-your-unique-selling-points/#respondTue, 04 Jan 2011 12:27:21 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=139When thinking of starting your own shop you will have considered what would make your shop stand out from those of your competitors – what gives it its edge. And if this is something that you haven’t yet considered, then you should.

Your USP will be a feature or a benefit that you alone offer. This could be lower prices, a wider range of products, a different version of products such as larger or smaller sizes or perhaps you want to give the customer a positive experience.

So how do you define your USP? Well you need to offer something that your competitors do not. For small independent retailers it can be impossible to match the larger stores for price, so think of who your customer base are and why they would come to you over the cheaper department store on the outskirts. Perhaps you have free parking you could advertise or perhaps your USP is all about customer service. In the case of Boudiche, a successful lingerie company, their USP was all about service, luxury and indulgence. Customers shop there for the experience, for the feel of being pampered and leaving with something special that is tissue-wrapped in a gorgeous bag.

Here’s another example; there are thousands of clothes shops all over the UK so what makes Top Shop so successful? Well their USP is to offer a wide range of fashionable, young and trendy clothing at affordable prices. If you walk into any Top Shop store you are left in no doubt as to who their customer base is. The very feel and vibe of the place is young, hip and trendy.

Yet since Top Shop launched in the late 1970s there have been plenty of competitors who have followed suit, offering a wide range of their own affordable, young fashion such as GAP, FCUK, H&M, etc. In fact in the 1990s the store underwent a bit of a crisis before it reinvented itself and now competes successfully with designer brands and labels. So how does it stay ahead of the game? Well as their customer base are young fashionistas they look to appeal to those customers by offering downloadable widgets on their website, podcasts and style blogs. They also have an impressive facebook page.

Once you’ve worked out what your USP is you need to hang onto it. As I mentioned in the case of TopShop, their competitors are now large in number and all are jostling to offer the same value for money and service for the same customer base. So TopShop stay one step ahead by embracing the technology around them and appealing to young people in this way. Don’t get too complacent thinking that because you offer expert pet advice and a free nail cutting service that this will mean your services will stay unique. Once Pets At Home discover you as a competitor, they may start offering the same service to try and snatch back their lost customers. So if you are providing expert advice you might want to give talks on different subjects once a week/month and invite other experts in the field to contribute too. Or you could set up a stand in a pet show offering your services for free on that day.

So don’t make the mistake of thinking that once you have identified your USP you need do no more work in that area. That’s exactly what your competitors will hope you will do. Keep on top of your ideas, check out your rivals and constantly be on the lookout for new ways in which you can reach your customer base.

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2011/01/hanging-onto-your-unique-selling-points/feed/0What Makes A Successful Shop Promotion?https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/what-makes-a-successful-shop-promotion/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/what-makes-a-successful-shop-promotion/#respondMon, 27 Dec 2010 12:38:54 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=143There are literally thousands of promotional ideas out there, but not all of them are suited to every individual retail outlet. When thinking of ideas for your promotions you have to bear in mind a few key points:

It must be appealing to new and old customers alike.

Base your promotion around a theme, for example if running a sweet shop your theme could be retro sweets.

How will you advertise your promotion?

How to Appeal to Old and New Customers

The whole point of a promotion, you would think, is to attract new customers to your shop. But this isn’t the only point of a promotion. You don’t want to put off regular customers who may be dissuaded from entering your shop by the increased number of customers all queuing to be served. Make sure then, that you have enough resources available to ensure that customers are served quickly and queues kept to a minimum. I’m sure that each reader has, at some point, been put off from buying something by the size of a queue in a shop, and of course sales and promotions are those times when queues reach their peak. Come up with a plan of action on how to tackle large numbers of customers and make sure you take note of the things that work and the ideas that didn’t.

Whilst it’s great to encourage new customers to visit your shop, you don’t want them to disappear the moment the promotion is over, so make sure that your window display is spot on, that your displays are prominent and the customer service excellent. It’s also vital that your promotion ties into your customer base. It’s no good having a pop star turn up to promote your maternity clothes shop as the very people drawn in by the pop star are not likely to be pregnant women. However if the maternity clothes shop runs a promotion featuring baby alarms then that will attract the kind of customer who will be interesting in buying maternity clothes.

Themed Promotions

You, above all, know your shop well and you know what general theme you have for it. Any promotion should tie in with the general theme of your shop and not detract from it. So for instance an upmarket boutique would avoid doing off-beat, jazzy promotions that would stand at odds with the general perception of their shop.

Each year brings with it a wealth of themed ideas such as Halloween, summer, spring, Christmas, Easter and so on. A children’s clothes shop would do very well on promotional fancy dress items at Halloween and Christmas and a toy shop could promote many of their products on themed days, so take advantage of the calendar to promote suitable products in your shop that will capture the imagination and mood of your customer.

Advertising Your Promotion

The obvious place to start would be the local newspaper. Getting a local celebrity to promote their new product in your shop is always going to attract the headlines, but not every shop can lure in the likes of X Factor finalists and not every shop is going to be suitable for this kind of promotion. A promotion on golf clubs is not likely to be very interesting to the local rag, so you’d need to think of something newsworthy. Having a special ‘Golf Day’ with members of the local golf club on hand to offer advice to golf enthusiasts and perhaps a discounted membership to the golf club for every customer or a raffle to win a meal for two at the golf club will give the local journalists something more to get their teeth into. And the golf club are more than likely to want to get involved since it offers their club a free promotion too.

Of course you could just advertise in the local rag but then you’d have to pay, and tying your promotion in with a news story is not only free but it gives you more page coverage.

Put up posters in places where you know your customer base will be. So a promotion in a sweet shop may advertise in the swimming pool, local ball pool and indoor play areas.

Your shop is also your best way of advertising your promotions, so base your window display around it and hand out leaflets to customers or even passers-by.

Success

Therefore the trick to a great shop promotion is to ensure that it will appeal to old and new customers alike, that it will not detract from the central image of your shop, that you have all of the resources necessary to cope with extra demand and that it is advertised in the right places to draw in the right people.

Not every idea will be a soaring success but you can learn from mistakes as well as your achievements. So long as you always remember the rule of thumb to think like a customer then you won’t go far wrong.

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/what-makes-a-successful-shop-promotion/feed/0The Art of Window Dressinghttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/the-art-of-window-dressing/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/the-art-of-window-dressing/#respondMon, 20 Dec 2010 19:12:18 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=129The focal point of a shop, no matter how large or small, is its windows. This is the face that the shop portrays to the outside world, this is where you reveal your identity – the very essence that makes your shop unique. It is the first thing that shoppers notice and just like a book cover, your shop will be judged upon it, so getting it right is key.

Whilst many shops will employ a professional window dresser, they do come at a price so many prefer to go it alone. It is possible to create a dynamic and exciting window display by yourself as long as you remember to follow a few key pointers.

Themes

It is essential that your shop has a theme, such as a boutique style or olde worlde sweet shoppe and no matter what time of year it is, you must not detract too much from this central theme that ideally will run through the whole of your shop. Your theme will also form part of your unique selling point so it’s something you will have decided upon very early on in setting up your business.

Less is More

There is nothing worse than seeing a cluttered window display. If you have too much going on at once then nothing stands out, there is nothing to catch the shopper’s eye. This example of a charity shop window tells you everything that you should avoid. There is no theme, no real clues as to what kind of shop it is and no central focal point. Keep it simple. It’s far better to have just one large, bright object than lots of small ones fighting for space.

Bright Lights

Good window lighting should focus on the objects being displayed rather than pointing outwards towards the shopper. A single spotlight can be effective in displaying just one object whereas accentuated lighting can help with a theme, such as reds for brazen and bold statements and soft lighting for a more muted tone.

Stack it up

Use boxes and steps to create stacks or pyramids so that your display isn’t just all on one level but different eye levels so that the shopper’s interest is held for longer and the overall display is more attractive and interesting.

Background or not?

Shops in large shopping centres tend to have open-back windows that allow the customer to see right into the store. It is essential to keep these window displays simple and follow the theme you have through the rest of the shop. High street shops are more likely to have closed windows – these can be very effective as you can really make the most of your display and have themed background displays for special times such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween. If you don’t have a closed window you can add a large curtain in a neutral colour that will look striking to the casual passer-by.

Be Creative!

No really, let your imagination run wild! Some of the most successful window displays have been surreal pieces of artwork that have drawn the customer in and provided a topic for discussion. There is nothing worse that all your hard work going generally unnoticed by the shopper, so make sure that it provides a talking point, even if that talking point is a little controversial. Remember, it’s better to be talked about than not at all. This simple display by Harvey Nicholls shows just how effective a window display can be.

Products

Use your best products and make sure you show them off to their full advantage. A shoe shop could have a beach theme and have different shoes arranged on a sandy beach with a sea backdrop and shells, buckets and spades as props. Put your merchandise in a situation where people can imagine them being used.

Still need help?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if your creative skills leave a lot to be desired. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a professional window dresser, just approach your local college or university and ask if any of their designers would do it for you. They come at half the price and are more than happy to notch up some experience for their portfolio.

You may not get it right the first time, but keep trying. View your window from all angles to see how effective it is and don’t be afraid to ask customers what they think, after all the more opinions you get the more you learn about what works and what doesn’t.

Have you any window dressing tips to share? Leave us your comments about what has worked for you and what you consider to be the most important factors when creating an effective shop window display.

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/the-art-of-window-dressing/feed/0The Case For Shopping Basketshttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/the-case-for-shopping-baskets/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/the-case-for-shopping-baskets/#respondWed, 15 Dec 2010 14:18:06 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=126You might think that baskets are just for supermarkets – after all who wants to carry a basket around a small independent shop? But that’s where you would be horribly wrong. Imagine the scenario; a woman walks into a shop, which is a good sign, she obviously wants to buy something. But hang on, she’s already got one of her hands full – she’s carrying a handbag. Well of course she is, who do you know goes shopping without their handbag or perhaps a purchase they’ve already made? In fact we are so used to going out of the house with a bag that on the rare occasions we leave the house completely empty handed we feel as though we’ve forgotten something. Ok, so back to the woman, she’s walked into the shop and one of her hands is already taken up with her bag which leaves just one hand free. She picks up the item she’s been looking for but then spots something else she’d quite like. How does she pick it up? She’s now got both hands full, so she either has to juggle the two items in one hand or leave with just the item she came in for. You see how that shop just missed a sale?

Impulse Sales

As any shop keeper knows, impulse sales are the best ones but in order to benefit from them you have to make it easy for your customer to make those impulse purchases. Hence the basket; a basket is easily held in one hand and can hold up to 10 items or more. In fact, when you do put a single item into the basket it looks quite odd and empty and it seems a waste going up to the till with just one object in your basket, so psychologically you’re already persuaded buy more.

Basket Placement

No matter how small your shop is, a stack of baskets will come in useful and will almost always be picked up by the customer upon entering the door … well depending on whereabouts you place them that is! As mentioned in a previous blog, anything placed in the shop landing strip may well be overlooked, so don’t place baskets just at the side of the door. The most ideal place would be to the right of the entrance (most people automatically veer to the right when entering a store) outside the landing strip so that customers have to walk around them to get to the rest of the shop. Once placed like this they will be picked up automatically by shoppers used to having baskets.

And once they have a basket in their hand they are unlikely to return it empty so again, it’s a great psychological method to encourage people to buy.

Therefore in summary baskets can:

Free up that spare hand to make impulse buying easier.

Encourage customers to put more than one item into the basket.

Discourage shoppers from leaving the shop empty handed.

So think again about your policy of not having baskets in a small shop as you could be missing out on some vital sales.

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/the-case-for-shopping-baskets/feed/0Researching Your Customer Basehttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/researching-your-customer-base/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/researching-your-customer-base/#respondSun, 12 Dec 2010 10:16:20 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=123Many shops make the mistake of doing meticulous research in the early days of planning their shop and then nothing in the years that follow. Yet customer trends change not just yearly but monthly and even weekly and you cannot rely on the research you did two years ago to accurately reflect your customers’ trends now. Many outside factors will dictate and even change customer habits such as new competition or economic worries.

Whilst it may take up precious time and perhaps even expense to research your customer base, it is recommended that you do so at least once a year so that you can adapt to any changes and stay ahead of the game.

When doing your research there are three main customer focus areas that you should take into consideration:

The customers you aim to attract into your shop.

The customers who already shop with you.

The customers who no longer shop at your store.

The Customers You Want to Attract To Your Shop

Every shop knows what kind of customer they are looking to attract. A young and trendy fashion outlet will aim to attract young people aged between 16 and 25 whereas a shop selling cupcakes will be covering a much broader customer base. Setting up a stall with a selection of your products should ensure that you attract the kind of customer you want to enter your shop. The information you wish to ascertain will relate to where they usually shop for their products, whether they have ever heard of your shop, what influences them when deciding where to shop – price? Quality? Convenience? Find out what it is they are looking for and what would make them enter your shop instead of your competitors.

Loyal Customers

You may think that those loyal customers who regularly shop with you need no more convincing as to how great you are, however it’s easy to take customers for granted and if we do that we make the mistake of taking our eye off the ball. Find out what it is these customers like about your shop and what improvements they would make. Do they buy the same products every visit? Or do they usually leave with extra products that caught their eye? This information should tell you whether or not you need to re-think the layout of your shop and whether your product placement is working in tempting customers to buy more than they originally came in for.

Customers Who No Longer Shop With You

Of course you will get customers who inform you that they used to shop with you until you stopped stocking a certain product or changed the colour of the walls even! You can’t please everyone but this is what you should aim for, within reason. You need to find out if there is a general trend as to why some customers have stopped shopping with you. This is fairly important since it can be useful to spot problems that need immediate attention.

Research Methods

It’s never easy surveying customer habits and many larger store chains will employ people to do this for them, but there are some inexpensive ways that you can conduct this survey by yourself.

Approaching shoppers in the street will provide you with a good random sample however this will entail standing around with a clipboard trying to interview passers-by who will presume that you are after their money. To counteract this negative effect one idea would be to get permission from the council to set up a small stand some distance from your shop. Fill the stand with selected products for people to try. The public are much more inclined to stop for a freebie than they are to stop for someone with a clipboard.

As customer surveys are ongoing many shops have taken to producing feedback cards to give to customers. As well as a useful way of getting the customer’s details, it gives you a real insight into what the customer was shopping for, what they liked about your shop and what improvements they would like to see made or products added. As an incentive to customers to fill out these feedback forms some shops will offer prizes for a random form drawn. This is probably the least time-consuming and most inexpensive way of surveying customers, however it will not tell you why past customers have stopped shopping with you.

If you do have a database of customer addresses then a small card saying something like “We’ve Missed You!” will attract the attention of past shoppers. A couple of questions on the back about why they have stopped shopping with you and a discount or voucher for returning the card should do the trick.

As shoppers tighten their belts it is more important than ever to keep on top of customer trends and adapt to fit the changing mood. The most successful of shops know what keeps their customers happy and what incentives to use to draw in new and old customers alike and they only know that by constantly researching and polling people. It make seem like a huge effort but it will pay dividends in the long run.

]]>https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/researching-your-customer-base/feed/0Marketing and Promotion Ideas For Your Shop Businesshttps://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/marketing-and-promotion-ideas-for-your-shop-business/
https://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/2010/12/marketing-and-promotion-ideas-for-your-shop-business/#respondTue, 07 Dec 2010 12:00:41 +0000http://www.shopfitdirect.co.uk/blog/?p=118If your shop is very new then marketing is a means of telling the world that you have arrived – or at least your local town! It gives you the opportunity to meet your customers and for them to meet you. But marketing is not just for new shops for there is a tendency, once the newness has worn away and the first flow of customers are through the door, to think that your shop will grow organically. Unfortunately this is not the case and every shop, whether they have just have started or have been a permanent fixture of a town for the past 200 years, needs a new marketing strategy every now and then. It can be tempting to presume that you know exactly what your customers want and that your customers also know all about you and the services you offer, but towns and people change and if you want to get new people through the door and perhaps tempt back old customers, the odd marketing promotion every now and then is crucial.

That very first marketing promotion is a breeze to cover, after all you have something to offer everyone; a news story for the local paper and something new in the town for local shoppers to spark their curiosity. However after that initial excitement and flood of new custom through the doors it can be a constant battle to keep customers interested and to ensure you still have something to offer everyone.

Here are a few promotional and marketing ideas to perk up interest from new and old customers alike:

New Customer Offer: Shops that offer a personal service such as a hair salon or dry cleaners often have promotions whereby new customers are offered a 50% discount. This can be incredibly useful in getting those new faces in and hopefully they’ll be so impressed by your services that they’ll come again and recommend you to friends.

Loyalty Schemes: It’s not just your large department stores that can have loyalty cards! I once visited a small local ice-cream parlour and bought 4 ice-creams for my children and their friends, I was handed a small card with 6 squares, four of the squares had been stamped and I was informed that once I filled up the card I was entitled to a free ice-cream. Little schemes like this work very nicely in encouraging your customer to return for more.

Fundraising: Donating a prize to a school fund or sponsoring a local charity always makes for good local news and gives you some free advertising. Helping out in the local community helps make you and your shop more approachable and personable.

Launches: You don’t have to limit your launch party to the opening day; think of when you get new brands in or a new range – throw a party to launch that new brand, invite the press and promote it in your window. Wine is also a good ploy; it’s amazing how easily a few bottles of plonk can encourage people off the street and into your shop!

Competitions: People love a bit of a flutter, especially if there’s a great prize on offer. Get them to fill out their details, including their email address in the prize draw, that way you can always email them afterwards thanking them for taking part, mentioning your website/Facebook and offering them a 10% discount if they visit again in the next few weeks.

Online Promotions: Ask your customers if they would be interested in receiving your online newsletter. This only needs to be a short fortnightly email listing all the new stock that has arrived, any promotions or sales and perhaps exclusive offers reserved for those who receive the newsletter. That way you can keep in touch with regular customers and encourage them back for more.

Good marketing strategies can get people talking about your shop business and as Oscar Wilde says: “There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about.” Offers, promotions and competitions tend to spread virally, especially if you post it somewhere like Facebook. Have you ever used a promotional code to get a really great deal from a company and then been plagued afterwards with newsletters, catalogues and emails? Because the very point of a promotion is to draw the customer in, obtain their details and then try to maintain their interest by offering similar promotions and information on new lines. For every 5 people that may simply want to take advantage of the promotion, another 2 may come back for more and it’s those 2 that make all the effort worthwhile.

So don’t get stuck in a rut thinking that marketing is for new shops only. No business is that established that it can do without promotion altogether. Keep your ideas fresh and give your customers every incentive to come back time and time again!